Robo Dwarf Hamster – All About Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters

Robo dwarf hamsters, or Roborovski dwarf hamsters, are the fastest and smallest dwarf hamsters. In fact, a robo dwarf hamster can run over a hundred miles1 in a single night. If you’ve seen them in pet shops, you’ll also notice they’re almost always on the wheel. They definitely look much more active than other dwarf hamsters.

A robo dwarf hamster measures about 2 to 2.5 inches long. Due to their size and speed, they’re not as easy to handle or tame as campbell’s or winter white dwarf hamsters. Robo dwarf hamsters originate from Russia, Kazakhstan, and northern China. In the wild, they eat grains, fruits, vegetables and small quantities of insect and meat. When kept as pets, the average lifespan of a robo dwarf hamster is about 3 years and can even go up to 4.

Here’s a video cut of a documentary on robo dwarf hamsters:

As shown in the video, robo dwarf hamsters are able to live in groups. However, this is in the wild where they have plenty of space to roam.

Pet robo dwarf hamsters may be able to live together, but only if they were raised together in the same enclosure from young. Even then, they may still end up fighting or being aggressive towards each other when they’re older and more territorial. Many people who have multiple robos living in the same cage have had injuries or even deaths resulting from fights.

If you intend to put more than one robo dwarf hamster in a single cage, you’ll probably want to check on them daily to make sure they are not fighting. They should be separated immediately if there are any signs of fighting or injury.

You should absolutely not house a robo dwarf hamster with another species of hamster or any other animal for that matter.

Robo dwarf hamster colors

You can usually find robo dwarf hamsters in two colors in stores.

AgoutiThis is the normal color for robos and is a very light brown/beige color with gray roots. Some would also describe this as sandy. Agouti robo dwarf hamsters have cute “white eyebrows” and no dorsal stripe.

White-faceThe white-face robo dwarf hamster looks similar to the agouti one except its entire face is white. You’ll sometimes find a white-face robo hamster referred to as a “husky” but they’re essentially talking about the same thing.

Other colorsOther colors may also be available but they are much rarer and usually can only be gotten from breeders. For example, a Platinum robo dwarf hamster looks like a white-face except it is lighter and can fade to pure white when they are older.2 Other colors include the (pure) white roborovski, red-eyed and mottled or pied.

Robo dwarf hamster care

Caring for your robo dwarf hamster is the same as any other dwarf hamster. You will need the right supplies (cage, bottle, wheel, bedding, food, etc), feed them the right diet, and keep their cages clean. All of these and more information on how to take care of a robo dwarf hamster are covered in our dwarf hamster care guide.

Taming your robo dwarf hamster

ErinsHamsters on YouTube has a great video on taming your robo dwarf hamster.

10 tips for taming your robo dwarf hamster

If your hamster is new, give it time to get used to its surroundings before trying to tame or handle it.

Only attempt to handle your hamster when it is awake. The best times are very early in the morning or in the evenings as your hamster will be awake and active at these times.

Initially, your hamster may run away after sniffing your hand or fingers. This is normal.

Let your hamster come to you instead of grabbing it. A robo dwarf hamster is usually too fast for a beginner to grab hold of properly. You can use a toilet roll or a cup and let your hamster crawl into it to move it around.

Tame your hamster in an empty box that’s low enough for you to put your hand in easily but high enough so they can’t run away.

Put your hand flat in the box and let your hamster come to you. Again, don’t try to grab it. Allow the hamster to get used to your scent.

hi! my hamter is a male and hes very shy. I try to feed him treats about once a day but he wont eat it and wont eat much of his pellets and seeds. ive tried strawberry yogurt, a granola mix treat, and now im trying an apple type treat. could he be sick??

Hi! How much food are you giving him and how long have you had your hamster?

Ciara Kelly

I give him about a palm size of pellet and seed mix. ive had him for about 3 weeks now. today I let him smell my hand while I was offering him a treat and he let me touch him briefly on his back and he wasn’t too scared but he’s still hiding behind his wheel and his bottle if I try to adjust a few of his toys and essentials in his tank 🙁

Hmm…dwarf hamsters need only about a tablespoon of pellet or seed mix daily so I guess he’s not really sick but just can’t finish that much food.

Give him some more time, 3 weeks is really new for a dwarf hamster. It took me more than a month (I forgot how long exactly) to tame my Roborovskis with daily handling…and it’s a good thing he let you touch him now.

Just keep doing what you’re already doing and he’ll get used to you bit by bit!

Sasha Black

hi! i just got my hamster yesterday and she is a roborovski,
she is a baby but is so small and im worried about how she will react to my little sister. she has had some time with me and she is like my best friend already! but im worried incase she bites my sister. she is only five and i haven’t let her hold her incase she gets loose and i cant catch her. what do i do?
im twelve

Hi Sasha! Since your sister is only 5, I would really recommend not letting your sister hold your hamster unless you’re absolutely sure she won’t grab the hamster too tightly or panic and drop the hamster or do anything that will scare the hamster.

If you’re worried about your hamster biting your sister, you can let your sister wear gloves when she’s holding the hamster (if you’re sure she can hold the hamster properly).

Also, you could set up a ‘play area’ that your hamster can’t get away from if she gets loose. This can be done by stacking books or boxes or anything that can make temporary ‘walls’ for the hamster.

Finally, make sure you/your sister is not holding the hamster from a height so that even if the hamster jumps off/if your sister accidentally ‘drops’ the hamster, it won’t get hurt.

Help

I found a hamster on my front porch! I was able to catch it and took it to the pet store and they confirmed it was a robo hamster. I have asked my neighbors and they all say it’s not theirs. I think it may have come off a donation truck that had just left my house before I found it. It looks healthy and clean. Should I be concerned about keeping it? Do they normally carry disease? Thank you.

AFAIK, they don’t normally carry disease that can spread to people. Just practice good hygiene like you would with other pets (washing hands after playing, not tossing their poop around etc lol) and it should be fine!

Remember to get a good-sized cage with all the stuff that a hamster needs (water bottle, wheels, hamster mix, bedding, chews, etc) if you haven’t already. Good luck with your new hamster! 🙂

Help

Thanks for your quick response. Imagine my surprise when I saw it! It’s lucky it didn’t become cat food as we have a few that just roam around. Right now he is in an old cooler (no lid) with a pop tart box house and shredded paper bedding. I did buy a bad of food when I went to the pet store.

Hi! I am thinking of getting a robo hamster. Are they very hard to take care of? This is my first hamster, and I really like the robo, but is this a good option? I would also like to know when they need to go to the vet, and what vaccinations are needed.

Hi! They’re not very hard to take care of but I find that they don’t like being handled as much as other types of dwarf hamsters.

It depends on your preferences, I guess. If you want to handle your hamster a lot, I would recommend a winter white instead.

Hamsters do not have to be vaccinated as far as I know, and they are brought to the vet usually only when they’re sick (or if their teeth grows too long but that can be prevented most of the time by having a variety of chews in the cage)

Aaron

I just bought a white face robo. so should i let it familiar with the place(cage) for a week before trying to handle the hamster?

I’m debating whether or not to get my robo hamster the silent wheel,any wheel to be exact. I saw videos on YouTube where the hamster would be running on the wheel then they suddenly go flying out of it. I even read a story about a women who robo hamster had to be put down because of how seriously it was hurt. I don’t want my little buddy to get hurt. Do I have the right to be worried or am I overreacting?

The silent wheel should be fine since it has a solid running surface. If you’re worried, maybe you could get a wodent wheel. It prevents the hammy from flying out since the wheel is enclosed (except for the entrance holes)

Sierra Polk

Thank you. I’ll buy one later on today^_^

Nikola

hi I am thinking of getting a robo dwarf hamster. did I make the right choice? will it like me?

Bailey

That just depends on how patient and willing you are to work with it

Sergio

My Robo Dwarf Hamster is a female and she stays still for a long period of time,she used to go on the wheel a lot.i just got her in 12/28/13 and today is 12/31/13.IS SHE GOING TO DIE

Nikola

What cages do you suggest for a robo dwarf hamster?

Kimmy Perez

I just bought one. As I was giving him his first bath. He started to bring back his food. It freaked me out. What’s wrong with him!?!

Sky

Never give them a bath in water this causes wet tail, because it stresses them out. Be careful because wet tail can cause death. Take him to the vet immediately, and the best way to clean them is with chinchilla sand not dust. The dust causes their allergies to kick up. So please be careful next time.

Leah

Ive had my hamster for about a week and she still doesnt like me. Shes scared of me. I put my hand out and she just sniffs it and then runs away and sometimes after sniffing kind of pushes the bedding in my direction and then shed sniff again and then kick again and do it over and over! HELP!!! Shes a robo dwarf and her name is Winter!

hailey

go slowly at first go faster each day and try to put her in a hamster ball

Hamsta lover

Robo Hamsters tend to be shy, don’t worry, I had my robo for 1 whole year and he still is shy. Just keep training her and you may be luckier than me!!

hailey

how much food do I give my robo hamster

Seymone Alexander

One teaspoon everyday.

Omas

Hi this is my second day with my robo, Fritz, and he just is so shy and won’t run on his wheel or eat/drink that much. I’m not sure if he has wet tail bc he won’t let me get near him to check to feel. I hope he’s ok I just got him from Pet Smart yesterday.

lara

I have been doing research on robo hamsters and it says the tank has to be 3 feet long and 1 and a half foot wide

Andrea Davie

Hey, I bought my first hamster a little over a month ago. I made the big mistake of holding him over and over again the first day I got him. I was just so exited to get a hamster. (It was a surprise) My robo hamster still doesn’t like me even after a month. I looked it up on the Internet, but everything I try doesn’t seem to work.

Jewels

I HAVE A ROBO AND I THINK SHE’S A GIRL NOT SURE. I HOPE APPLES AND BROCOLI ARE GOOD FOR THEM WITH CELERY.

keltic

I am a new robo mom. 🙂 I bought two babies, that were housed together, but one died within 48 hours of being brought home. I’m very, very upset about that, to be honest. I specifically selected her because she was an interesting color and was so cute and tiny. Now I’m thinking that maybe she shouldn’t have been for sale in the first place. 🙁 When I brought the pair of females home both seemed to enjoy their extra big cage and their food and toys. Then, just like that, the next night little Pearl was on the verge of death. 🙁 Now I still have the other one, Petal, and I am worried that she will be lonely without her little cage mate. I’m afraid to go get another one because she has been on her own and maybe won’t recognize another of her siblings or cage mates anymore. 🙁 What should I do? Will she be ok on her own? Will she be ok with another hammy? Does it even matter? 🙁

I’m so sorry about Pearl 🙁 Petal will be fine on her own. It would be risky to put her with another hamster as they could fight and both could end up injured.

keltic

The store just called me to ask if I want another hamster. They are all from the same litter, the same cage that Pearl and Petal are from. I told him I’m afraid to introduce another, even if it is from the same group, when it’s been 2 days since Petal has been with another hamster, and 4 days since being with the others that are still at the store. He said they believe Pearl just was too small and she was very underweight so her death was probably caused by undernourishment from being with so many others and not getting enough food before I took her. When I brought her home on Friday night, she did eat a lot, so I’m confused. The guy I spoke to seems to think that is also indicative of what they said. She hadn’t been getting enough food and then stuffed herself when she could, but that it was too late. Do you think even getting another hamster from that same group that Pearl and Petal came from would be risky at this point? Has it been too many days without another companion, for Petal? Thank you for your help and kindness. I’m really sad.

Hamster Lover

Hi i have a Roborovski Hamster she is a girl i got her 10/6/2013 i have been trying to hold her for a long time and she won’t get on hand and stay. When i try to hold her she runs away how do i get her to like me? And what is the best way to hold her?

RoborovskiLover

Hi. I have a Roborovski hamster. She is a girl. I got her 10/6/2013 and i like just started holding her a few months a go but then i found out i was holding her wrong. So what would be the best way to hold her? And is it to late to tame her?

Kylie

It’s never to late to tame her! My ‘perfect’ way is by picking the hamsters sides with two fingers! I hope this helps!

I just wanted to say Hi! Because my hamsters names are Katie and Kylie! #Small World!

Xanxus

Hi. My Robo is female and I got her 8/5/2014 just two days from now and her age now only about 5 weeks.When I put my hand and trying to take her,she will smelling me and the she trying to bite me.I don’t know why but every time I put my finger she will start smelling my finger and then try to bite me.Can you help me with this?

Hello , We have a female Robo Her Name is Snow . That belongs to my 8 year old Doughter , We will be makeing a trip that will take 3 weeks. What would you sugest we do with Snow while we are gone ? My doughter is the only one that can handle her. And is a great Mama to her . I would hate to brake the bond that they have . Help!!!

Kylie

Hi! I would feed and water Snow a bunch before you go! And i would clean her cage very good too!

Emma

Hi, I have a female Robo named anny. She has been acting sorta strange like she’ll claw like she’s trying to get out of her cage. I take her out everyday play with her, feed her change her water. And I clean her cage out every week. I can’t explain what also she doing but it’s like she’ll be I’m one place and I would say go crazy. I really can’t explain what she’s doing. I have no idea what it is.. I’ve had her for about 2 months or 3. It just scares me because I have no idea what she’s doing..

Cortney

Hey, my name is Cortney and my best friend Gimli is about 2 1/2 to 3 years old. He’s my first hamster and about a week ago I noticed that he had a missing patch of fur on his back and that he has dandruff. Is that normal? Also, his little scent gland (that’s what another website told me) has been leaking out some weird liquid and he has to take 5 minutes to clean his scent gland. I don’t know what’s wrong with him and I’m really worried, he is my best friend.

clarke

Hi I am new To this my friends bought me a male called Clarke I have had him 11 days the first couple of days he let me handle him but now he just attacks me wen I go to pick him up can you help me please!!!!!! He’s got everything he needs he even got a three storey cage I just don’t know what to do

kylie

Hi! i also had this problem. Put some gloves on and that will help you from getting bit and him stop being so crazy! i hoped this helped!!!!!!!

CHris

EVERYONE IM SCARED I just got a lil robo female and I did the mistake of trying to grab her so I can put her in her cage I feel horrible I put the box she was in inside her cage and tipped it a bit so she could get in her cage but now she wont move or eat im so scared plz someone help me :((((((

julia

how do i tell if my robo dwarf hampster is pregnant?

alex

I think my robo is pregnant whatdo I do?

paula

We’ve had 2 Chinese dwarf hamsters ho have lived together for the past 18 month and 1 of them kept attacking the other sadly she has died can the other 1 survive on her own .?

I’m sorry for your loss. Yes, she can survive on her own — hamsters do not need a companion. This is for anyone else who has a similar situation in the future: hamsters should be separated immediately if they fight.

Becky

Hi I’ve just got a robo hamster she was in the adoption area so was on her own I was just need a little advise on weather to get her a playmate. However if I did get her a playmate it wouldn’t be from the same litter and would be younger as the one I have was sat in the pet shop for 20 weeks. So I guess my question is, is it a good idea or not?

Hi! That would not be a good idea unless you’re prepared to get another cage and set of accessories if they fight. Since she was already alone in the pet shop, she might not accept a new hamster if you try to put them together. Plus hamsters are perfectly fine on their own so she doesn’t really need a playmate ^^

Becky

Ok thankyou for that advise. I did think about not getting another one tonight as she seems a lot better playing on her wheel and that. At first all she seemed to do was just run up on down the same bit jumping at the class got abit worried but she seems a lot better now.

For those who’ve had dwarf hamster before, i have an almost 2 year old robovorski dwarf hamster that has been constantly losing fur and has been biting on his stomach a lot lately. I just don’t want him to have to suffer. Would you recommend taking him to the vet from the store or could this be common? Thanks for your time!

Bailey

I dony know much about hamsters but that does not sound good At all

Callum Scott

I have 3 female robo hamsters i got all 3 from same cage but got 2 first then got the 3rd 2 days later ip was reading that u shouldnt house odd numbers so was wondering do i get a 4th as it said they may fight or one be bullied if odd numbers

Jay

We are getting a robo hamster for my 5 1/2 year old daughter for Christmas do you think robo’s are the best choice? Also I created a to track her progress through the hamster journey, check it out here if interested http://thehamster-cage.blogspot.com/
Thanks

Not sure why no one’s replied yet… As a long-time pet owner, I wouldn’t recommend a ham for a 5-6yo. These little guys are extremely fast and hams in general can be a bit nippy… they might be a little too challenging, unless you intend to just have her care for them and watch them.

A more appropriate pet might be a guinea pig, depending on your family, space available, and your daughter’s temperament. If she’s quite mature and calm, and able to handle them carefully, piggies can be very sweet pets. A caveat- unlike hams, the cages sold in petshops are, in general, inadequate. Anyone interested in piggies should look up “C&C cages”.

Hope this was helpful! Good luck. It’s fun introducing littles to pets. My kids are 18 and 14 now, and have always loved their furred friends.

Bailey

for someone that young i would recommend a bigger slower more easily trained hamster. A teddy bear hamster woild probably be a nice choice. I know at my local pet store they get their hamsters fRom a responsible local breeder. When the hamster comes in the also keep it for 2 days to a week (depending on what you want) to make sure it is friendly and healthy before you take it home.

Giggles

I wouldn’t recommend this type of hamster, and if you get more than one DO NOT PUT THEM IN THE SAME CAGE!!!!! 5 minutes ago I found my twin sister’s hamster eating mine, and they were sisters. I have heard that males are even more violent. My sister’s and my hamsters never fought before, I always watched them and they got along well. There were multiple places filled with food in my large 3 story hamster cage, the hamsters had been together sense birth, and we regularly saw them play together, such as running on the wheel together.

These hamsters are fearless, and will jump no matter how high up they are. One of the hamsters jumped from a table 5 feet high and kept running, totally unaffected, right afterwords. That is the hamster that is still alive. I would recommend a Russian dwarf instead, they are much nicer and more easily handled. I was able to keep 3 together for years.

Mike

I had to separate my two female robo dwarf hamster. I named them Winter and Brownie i used to have one that was named Goldie but i think winter killed it. Winter is a white one and Brownie/Goldie were light brown. They are friendly. Winter is in a caged type housing and Brownie is in a aquarium type housing

Amber

I heard you can put a small pile of food in the corner of each room. Check the piles to find out which room it’s in. Then set a “trap.” Get a small bucket that is high enough he can’t crawl out of and escape again. Make a “staircase” of books leading up to the bucket and put some tasty treats in the bucket and around it to lure them in. Hopefully the hamster will fall in the bucket and you can catch it.

Melissa Pankey

i got my lil robo hammi a few nights ago. he ran on his wheal all night the first night
and slept all the next day. ever since he hasnt run on his wheal at all. he just sits
around, eats, hides, drinks, then hides again. we do have a chilly apartment depending
on the temp outside but i keep the heater on in the room his cage is in. i cant afford
to take him to the vet. what sould i do???? Please help….i;ve had hamsters before but i dont remember them acting like this…

Maddie

Hello,
So I got my robo dwarf hamster at the end of August. He has two cages (one small one and one two story one, both have upper hatches too) that I connected by a tube. I feel he might be lonely and maybe kind of sad because I’m always at school or at rehearsal. I wanted to get him a friend because i think that may be fun for him, but do you think it is a good isea? I think I would get him another male friend because my mom doesn’t want hamster babies but I think a girl would be fun (but if I got one it would probably be a boy) do you think it’s a good idea to get another robohamster?

Bailey

No not unless you get them at the same time and are sure they are from the same litter when you get them together you can not keep them together. Thr probability of one killing or seriously injuring the other is very very very high. So no. And if you got a female you would have a bunch of baby hamsters running around or as stated before a dead or injured hamster. Hamsters are completely fine to be alone. If you think he is bored buy him some new toys to fill up his cage.

Juli

Hi I have a robo dwarf hamster I accidently squished her down a bit I didn’t know where I was goin and a couple days ago her eye is kind of popped out and yesterday it finally healed but it’s looks ugly and today it’s swelled again help me

Navi The Hamster

I dont want you as my owner! You sound scary…

kyle

I just bought a robo hamster and i tried to give it a treat but he never takes the treat, so what do i do?

james

i had the same problem too every time i offered him a treat he would run to the other side of the tank but don’t worry he will come around it just takes a few days. also try interacting a little bit more with him every day.

tia

I had my robo for awhile but it’s still not tamed. what should i do?

Navi The Hamster

Well, when my owner first got me I was super shy. Then once a week she would put me in a bin and with my hand it it and let me run around. Then when i finnaly started standing on her hand she did it every other day! Then once a week she gave me treets, my faveroite is the sun flower seeds ^w^

Seymone Alexander

Try feeding it treats out of your hand and playing with it. Or just sit by the cage and talk to it so it can get use to your voice and smell. Good luck !!! ☺

Jamey

Are they mean?

Seymone Alexander

They are only mean if you scare them. Or when you You first get them . But all together they are really good pets just give it time.

Seymone Alexander

I am getting a robo hamster, this blog really helped. I want a really strong relationship with my hamster. This blog is really helpful but I have a question, how do I train hamster to go to the bathroom in one spot? Thanks for your time , Seymone Alexander.

Nadie Mcweeney

Hey, im hoping to get a robo tomorrow. Im so excited, but the only thing that would hold me back is that i have read that they are better to watch than to handle because they are so fast and hard to tame. Is this true? I have had a campbell before that actually turned out to be the easiest to tame and the friendliest of all five hamsters ive had. I dont want to get a robo that is impossible to tame and catch. Advice?

They are harder to tame but not impossible. It just won’t be as easy as taming a Campbell/Winter White. They’re not as friendly too in my experience.

Hammy

I just got a hamster yesterday, hes doing just fine I read lots of info to get to know him better and to not let him be afraid of me and its working out but, hes not drinking water even if he runs ALOT anyone know why???

He might be drinking when you’re not looking. Roborovski hamsters drink a lot less than other hamsters too

Nych

I’ve had my robo hamster for about a year and a month now. Sometimes she lets me pet her but sometimes not. She’s super adorable, but bites a lot (bites my dad, me sometimes, ANY new object…). But recently I found a trick. When I first pet her (every session), she will try to bite me. This happens twice. But by the third time she kinda admits defeat and lets me pet her… To the point where she goes flat and sticks her feet out and closes her eyes and it’s super adorable. Then if I stop, she gives it like 30 seconds before she goes back to whatever she was doing. In my first picture, that’s what I mean by “totally relaxed stance”.

Oh another thing. She’s soooo cute when she sleeps. She sleeps like a human, crunched on her side. I think it’s cuz she’s too heavy and fat now to sleep teehee. Refer to second photo. Sometimes she sleeps in an indescribable way. Refer to third photo. But lastly, sometimes she sleeps in the shape of a heart.

If your hamster doesn’t bite, it should be okay. The reason for taming outside of their cage is to prevent “cage aggression” that some hamsters get. These hamsters tend to be bite/be more aggressive in their cage, probably because they’re trying to defend their territory.

Also, if they’re in the cage, it might be harder for you to tame them. They’re able to run to their hideouts or burrow under bedding so it’s harder especially if they have a lot of accessories in the cage.

Haru

Do you have any cotton or fabric in your cage? Small threads can wrap themselves around your hamster’s limbs, he’ll move and the knot would get tighter. He could eventually lose a limb so be careful. Cotton and any kind of fabric are a no no!

Amaris

My robo is in her cage with her first litter and just had a second. What do i do with the first litter? Can i put the boys in the dad’s cage and leave the girls with the mom and her new litter?

Hi, we don’t have a list of food you shouldn’t feed yet but if it’s not on the list, you might want to avoid it first or leave a comment and ask if it’s safe 🙂

Camille

Can I place my boy hamsters together. My hamster had babies recently and (once they were old enough) I sold all but two and I found out one of the two is a boy. The girl is living with the mom and I wanted to know if I could put the son with his father. I tried to see if they would like each other by putting them in a box together but the father chased around the son so I separated them. I still want to try though or I’ll have to sell the son.

Ellie

i depends on what species they are if they are roborovskis then its fine but if they are syrians keep them way away from each other as syrians don’t like company and his dad will probably kill his child xx hope this helped

Nadie Mcweeney

I bought a cute little robo recently. My whole family adored him and he was so tame right from the beginning. However, he died after about a month of having him and i have no idea why. He seemed so healthy and showed no signs of illness except for the day before he died when he simply didnt move a lot. Any idea what could have happened and how i could prevent it happening again?

gaillynndavis

That is awful. The pet store where we bought our robo gave us a certificate which stated if it died within 30 or 60 days they would replace it. Ours is now 7 months old! it cold have been anything. it could have been sick before you bought it…it is not usual for a vet to check out hamsters before purchase 9unlike when adopting or buying a dog/cat). Make sure you are not giving it too much fresh fruit as it can have too much sugar and give the hamster diabetes.

gaillynndavis

My son wanted me to post his Cutie Pie, robo dwarf.

katelovespets

Hi, my best friend has a really cute robo hamster and I have a Russian dwarf hamster, any way my bestie is really upset because her hamster never lets her to tame him and she thinks that mine is better because mine really likes it when I pet her , what can I do ?

Ashley DiCarlo

I have had my robo for 7 months now. He was a white elephant gift from a work Christmas party. A little unexpected but I love him. Though I have noticed since it has gotten warmer his fur has been getting super greasy. Has anyone else have this problem.? And if so what should I do? I give him a sand bath twice a week.

Akbar

same with my robo hamster … i just got him though

Queen of Sarcasm

Is it normal for Robo Dwarf Hamsters to stink? We got my nephew one at the end of August and soon realized it has a bad odor. We had one before and it never smelled. Do the boys smell or is there something wrong with the animal?

Jose El Pitufo Alvarenga

Hi, I just got two Robo hamsters a few days ago, and from the moment I saw them they were active and great! I brought them home and they seemed fine for the first day or two, but now they seem less active than usual. Except for when I put them in their ball or a bin, they don’t do much in their cage. Not even on their wheel. Is there a reason they’re acting like this?? I want to make sure their fine. Please help. Thanks in advance.

Chelsea Hadd

You should never use chinchilla dust for hamsters even if there are pictures of them on the box. Only use chinchilla SAND. The dust is harmful to their respiratory system. Also, Robo Hamsters are prone to oily skin. They should never be bathed with water. However, sand baths help to absorb the oils 🙂 hopefully this helps!

Courtney Alcorn

Emma, I would recommend getting robos they’re amazing little ones and as long as you can spend some time with them they’ll be fine.

Courtney Alcorn

Sami, Minnie just needs some time to get acquainted to you in general. He’ll learn the ins and outs of you soon. You just have to be patient. I would try feeding him treats by leaving them outside his enclosure so he knows you’re not going to hurt him. I have two robos and they’re both stubborn but they are fine now with running around my hands and arms. Be patient! 🙂

Sami

My little Minnie died last night…i saw him not moving but he was breathing…i think he might have gotten to cold and slipped into torpor:( I quickly took him by the fireplace with him in my hands to warm him up…just hoping that he would wake up. Unfortunately he stopped responding and he stopped breathing:( My poor little Minnie died in my hands:( I always made sure he had enough bedding and warm water to keep him warm this winter season,I don’t know what i did wrong, but I will always remember and cherish the last few minutes I had with him.

Faith

So Ive had my two little ones for about two years now and last night one of my babies died. My other one keeps running around franticly like she doesn’t know what to do. What should I do to make her feel better and to take her mind off of her sister?

new

I just got 3 robo dwarf hamsters I think they are all female. When I first got them like two days ago they were always fighting over the wheel last night we took it out so we can get some sleep there is a fat one that LOVES being on the wheel 24/7 we put it back in this afternoon they ran for a while and have completely stopped. Now they are hiding under the bedding cuddling with each other havent been out the rest of the day . I try to let them get use to my scent and they just bite now. They didn’t do that before . Is this normal?

Robo Sal

Hello am going to purchase a new hamster (robo) but I dont know if I should get one or two. I really want to see hamsters breed but I’m a complete beginner with breeding. Should I get one or two (I only had 1 robo before)?

Yumi Walker

you should get one or three they will fight if there is only two

AnimeLover

Hi! I have read the comments, and it seems like most of the questions were answered… but there were so many problems, and if i got a robo dwarf hampster and something happened to it, I would be extremely sad. so I was wondering if i should get one or not?

Caliga

You should start with something a little easier to handle; robo dwarfs being one of the fastest breeds. If you want a dwarf, you should get a Syrian, as they are tamer.

Mandi Hariton

I have had one for about 3 years since he was little. Now he has gotten thin, lethargic and has bumps on his underside and some on his sides. Any ideas of what might be wrong? I am thinking cancer. He has been well cared for in a clean cage and water and food and treats.

Caliga

Sounds like he needs a trip to the pet. It may be an insect infestation.

Mandi Hariton

He actually just pasr away. I cleaned his cage every week and his wheel 2 times a week. Like I said he was well cared for.

Erin

I have one robo named Poppy. She is about two months old. It takes her a little while, but if I put a treat on my hand (with a glove on) in her cage, she has no problem climbing into my hand for the treat. But if I put my hand in her cage (with a treat) she nibbles my hand then runs away and hides. What should I do? Am I doing something wrong?

Caliga

It sounds perfectly normal. Try to get her used to your scent and then you will have no problem. Talk to her normally whenever you can. If you want to pick her up, put a cardboard tube near her, she will probably climb right in.

Erin

As long as you can take care of him, he should be fine. After all, 90% of the time he will be asleep while you are at school.

Erin

The same thing with my hamster…. except I found that one or two pieces of scotch tape work just as well.

Elora Forgie

I am fostering 4 baby robos (guessing they are 6wks old?) from the animal shelter and have been told that I need to keep them each in their own cage to avoid fights. I’m now reading that this breed does ok in groups as long as they’re siblings (check) but am scared to keep them together if there’s a chance of fighting. On the other hand I feel terrible for separating them and just want them to be happy. Any tips would be much appreciated!

Caliga

I would say exchange their beddings so they get to know the smell of each other, introduce them one by one, and pay close attention to their reactions. If they fight, seperate them gently. Do not force it.

Yumi Walker

they are less likely to fight when in groups of three or more if there is just two they fight to claim territory

Caliga

Talk to her, get her used to your voice and smell, and then offer her treats from your hand. If she resists, allow her. Forcing her won’t help and all hamsters have different personalities.

Alejandro Jimenez

Please help im a first time pet owner i own a robo dwarf hamster its shakes a little and lives under the wheel uses the bathroom under the wheel and eats and drinks a bit please help me im very worried about him

Miss Waffles

my robo hamsters are named billy and ferdinand

Haneen Magdi Mustafa Mohammed

Can they get sick, cause mine keeps on blowing through its nose as if it’s plugged?

Simpliegen

Can I have an honest opinion on what size of silent spinner wheel for my robo dwarf hamsters. I got them the 4.5in and I don’t see them arch their back, and I want to buy them their exercise saucer, small. But I want to know if that is a definite okay.

Andrew Martin

We recently (last week) got two robo brothers born 6 weeks ago. They were caged together at the store although i only saw them in the day time and for a short period i was told they got along fine. They are now at home in a large 2 level cage with all the trimmings. However i have noticed one os very dominant and still nibbles at me where as the other is relativly happy on my hand and doesnt even try to nibble. They now sleep in seperate areas of the cage but i occaisionally hear them squeaking at each other and running away after a small roll. Should i be worried or is it just part of the settling in period?? They are called Mungo & Jerry and are our first robo’s.

Chrisey K

To be honest, i would seperate them immediately. I’ve owned somewhere between 10-12 robo dwarf hamsters and when i got my first two, i kept them apart because i got feedback from many people its best to keep them apart. I continued this with a few more of my robo’s, (housing them apart,) but i then bought 2 more and i didn’t have enough space for more cages in my room so i decided to house them together considering they lived in the same tank at the pet store, i assumed it would be fine. Their names were (Jojo and Fluffy,) and Fluffy was the sweetest thing while Jojo would bite often and he ended up chewing Fluffy’s nose off so i know now, never to house my robo’s together. They are housed at pet stores together, in my opinion, i believe its because a store wouldnt want to put the extra funds toward putting each hamster they have come in, into seperate terrarium. It would be costly, while putting them together in the same terrarium would be much easier.

Yumi Walker

its best to put them in groups of three or more

Yumi Walker

actually i heard from the place i got them from that they are kind of territorial and may fight if there is only two if you get three of more they wont fight

Robo

Try putting her favourite treat on your palm and let her come to you.

alyssa

how often should you get your hamster out the cage to play with it?

yeva

im slightly worried ( i have heard that dwarf hamsters eat each other, after death ) do robo hamsters do this?

abunny7973playsAJ

If you have a wire cage with large holes, i would recommend that you put metal mesh or small-holed chicken wire over the whole thing, so your hamsters can’t escape. Robos have flexible bones so they can squeeze through small spaces.

Amanda Lopes

My dwarf hamsters just had a litter. (When I bought the hamsters I asked them if they could have children because I didn’t want that to happen) 4 months later I come home from vacation to find children. I wanted to remove the father BUT I can’t tell which one is the father 🙁 help please?!?!

Heidi Wiegmann

if you don’t know which is which then you can ask your vet or you can watch a video on it, there’s a few videos that show you how to do it.

LivandAbsmom

Has anyone had their Robo come down with cancer? We found a growth on our little man last week, and it tripled in size in less than a week. Went to the vet who diagnosed him with cancer based on a needle biopsy.

Rose

I have two robos living in the same cage untamed and i was wondering how i should go about taming them, do i take them out at the same time or do i just take one out of the cage at a time and tame them separately?

Junior Rodriguez

My hamster trys to to bite me evry time i put my hamñnd inside help please